Workshop organised at Aqua Campus, Italy

On September 22nd, our partner Canale Emiliano Romagnolo (CER) held a workshop at Aqua Campus where they presented the WATERMELLON PRIMA project and organised a meeting with the Regional Farming Group. They also had a visit to the experimental fields, organised together with the University of Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna). During this visit, the colleagues from UNIBO presented insights into millet cultivation, and explained its integration with a water harvesting solution.

In case you want to see the presentation, please click on the following link. 

Context and Challenges

• Climate pressures in Emilia-Romagna:

  • Rising temperatures: +1.5–2.0 °C.

  • More frequent, longer, and intense heatwaves.

  • Extreme weather: floods and heavy rains (May 2023, Sept 2024).

  • Drought impacts: low Po River levels and saltwater intrusion (2021–2022).

• Agricultural needs:

  • Growing water demand for crops.

  • Necessity of efficient irrigation to safeguard food production and ecosystems.

Objectives

• Introduce innovative cultivation systems for water savings.

• Promote Water Harvesting (collection and storage of drainage water).

• Develop new value chains with resilient crops adapted to climate stress (drought).

Opportunities with New Crops

• Miglio (millet) & Quinoa:

  • Can be included in crop rotations or as second harvests.

  • Benefits:

    • Enhance production diversification.

    • Resilient, rustic crops.

    • Economic potential and response to growing gluten-free demand.

    • Nutritional advantages (quinoa: amino acids; millet: iron and calcium).

• Existing Italian supply chains:

  • Miglio: Dr. Schär (100% Italian chain by 2026), EcorNaturaSì, Molino Rossetto.

  • Quinoa: Quinn, Quinoa Italia.

• Market outlook:

  • Current CAGR: 4.2%.

  • Expected CAGR: 15.6%.

Water Resource Innovation

• Use of artificial wetland (Acqua Campus) for sustainable irrigation:

  • Stores water for millet and quinoa cultivation.

  • Provides flood buffering by delaying flood peaks.

  • Natural filtration improves water quality.

  • Ensures continuous water availability in drought periods.

  • Contributes to aquifer recharge and nitrate reduction.

Key Message

The presentation emphasizes the urgency of climate adaptation in agriculture through:

• Efficient water management.

• Integration of climate-resilient, gluten-free crops (millet & quinoa).

• Use of nature-based solutions (wetlands, water reuse) to enhance resilience, sustainability, and new economic opportunities.